Adjustable hand positioner for shotguns and rifles



Feb. 26, 1957 M. J. SCHADECK 2,782,545

ADJUSTABLE HAND POSITIONER FOR SHOTGUNS AND RIFLES Filed Sept. 20, 1954 INVENTOR Maibew .IScbadeck QTTYS United Sates Patent ADJUSTABLE HAND POSITTONER FOR SHOTGUNS AND RIFLES Mathew J. Schadeck, San Joaquin, Calif. Application September 20, 1954, Serial No. 457,065 1 Claim. (Cl. 42-71) This invention relates to attachments for shotguns or rifles, the major object being to provide a hand positioner for such a firearm which will assure the proper position of the hand of the shooter on the forestock of the weapon, when the positioner is once set for any individual, under all conditions of use.

For instance, when the device is once adjusted to the individual, such adjustment will assure the proper hand positioning, and consequently the position of the weapon relative to the shooter, irrespective of varying thickness of the clothing at the shoulder such as otherwise tends to affect the setting of the weapon.

This is particularly of advantage when target or field shooting under conditions which do not allow of a deliberate aiming of the weapon.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a positioner which may be readily attached to the forestock of any shotgun or rifle without interfering with any of the operating parts thereof, which does not add materially to or tend to unbalance the weight distribution of the weapon, and which does not detrimentally afiect the appearance of such weapon.

The positioner includes a body adapted to be permanently mounted on the forestock of the weapon, and a hand engaging stop depending from the body, and a further object of the invention is to so mount this stop on the body that it may be quickly and easily adjusted thereon lengthwise of the forestock to suit the arm length and resulting hand position of any individual user.

Another object of the invention is to provide an ad jnstable hand positioner for shotguns and rifies which is designed for ease and economy of manufacture.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a practical, reliable and durable hand positioner for shotguns and rifles, and one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects are accomplished by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claim.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side outline of a conventional rifle, showing the improved hand positioner mounted thereon.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the positioner, detached, and looking at the underside of the body of the device.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the device taken substantially on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, the positioner comprises an elongated body indicated generally at 1, and which is made of relatively thin yet rigid material, such as sheet aluminum or a suitable plastic,

The body 1, formed as an upwardly facing shallow channel 2, includes a bottom plate 3, and upstanding relatively narrow side flanges 4. Outwardly projecting mounting flanges 5 extend along flanges 4, and are formed with spaced holes 6 to receive screws 7 by which the body may be mounted on the underside of the forestock 8 of the firearm 9 lengthwise thereof.

Depending from the body 1 through a longitudinal slot 10 formed in the bottom plate 3, is a threaded stem 11 0 fixed on a head 12 slidably and non-turnably seated in channel 2.

Adjustably threaded on the stem is a knob 13, of a size and shape to comfortably fit or abut against the inner edge of a hand, and flaring to its outer lower end as shown, to prevent the hand from sliding off.

The knob serves not only as a hand stop, but also as a clamping nut to releasably bind the head 12 against the bottom of the channel, and if made of plastic or wood, is provided with a countersunk metal bushing 14 nonturnably secured therein and tapped to engage the stem.

By means of this arrangement therefore, the knob may be readily adjusted along and secured on the body 1 at any point in its length as may be necessary to position the same to suit the hand position, along the forestock, of any particular individual. The depth and overall width of the body is so small that it oifers no interference with the grasping of the forestock by the hand of the user, nor doe it add any noticeable bulk or increase in weight to the weapon.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that there has been produced such a device as willfully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claim.

While this specification set forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as set forth herein.

Having thus described the invention, the following is claimed as new and useful, and upon which Letters Patent are desired:

A hand positioner for a firearm having a forestock, arranged for hand engagement, said positioner comprising an elongated body, means to secure the body on the underside of the forestock lengthwise thereof, said body being of upwardly facing channel form in section and having an elongated slot in the bottom thereof, a threaded stem depending through the slot, a head fixed on the upper end of the stern, said head being slidable and non-turnable in the channel, and a knob for hand edge abutment adjustably threaded on the stem whereby to clamp the bottom of the channel between the head and the knob at any position of the latter along the slot in immediately adjacent relationship thereto.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 445,192 Nye et al. Jan. 27, 1891 1,585,249 Johns May 18, 1926 1,883,465 Balmer Oct. 18, 1932 2,285,963 Gits et a1 June 9, 1942 OTHER REFERENCES The American Rifleman, November 1948, pp. 15 and 16. 

